Dainty Darling Digits

Essie Power Clutch + Shine of the Times= AWESOME

2012-02-04T11:21:00.000-05:00

Click for base color and Shine of the Times porn!

Power clutch is a dark gray cream with a slight warm brown tone. I thought I would like it more but felt kinda "eh" about it when it was on. So I decided I would throw a coat of Shine of the Times over it.

When I first saw SOTT I didn't think I needed it, I barely ever layer and I already have Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure (which btw, they have another polish out now called Hidden Treasure, same line and everything and I would like to know what that is about) but OMG am I glad I picked this up. SOTT is a gorgeous flakie that flashes all kinds of gorgeous red-orange-gold-green goodness. With one coat my nails were LOADED with flakies. Prepare to see every polish I wear for the next 2 months topped with this! Literally, I'm making it a tag.

The combination of the brown tones in Power Clutch and the top coat make such an interesting combo, what do you think?

Infallible Gold FOTD

2012-02-03T10:58:00.000-05:00

Click for more photos, close-up and products used!

Products used:
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold
L'oreal Infallible 24hr eyeshadow in Eternal Sunshine (review coming soon)
L'oreal Telescopic waterproof liquid liner in black
Revlon 3d Photoready mascara in black (review coming soon)
MAC Dollymix blush
Tarte Clean Slate primer
Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse foundation
Maybelline Superstay 10 hour gloss stain in Fresh Fuchsia (review coming soon)
NYC brow kit

I swear this gloss just will not photograph the right color. In real life it is much more raspberry-purpley but it just goes soooo red in photos :(

Sinful Blue By You Swatches

2012-02-02T10:48:00.000-05:00

I swear there isn't this much VNL...
click for more!

2 coats, beautiful blue with loads of glitter flecks in it. Reminds me of some toothpaste I used to use when I was younger, I remember the "glitter" and it was the same exact color blue. Please don't mind the smudge on my thumb, that was my fault. I did have a little difficulty with application, polish was slightly thick but not so much that I would say to avoid it.

Really feel like I'm not very good at writing tonight, so I'm going to leave it at that!

Kiss Nail Artist 3D Charms

2012-01-27T09:33:00.001-05:00

I want to state that not all items used on my nails is from these kits!

Click link for review and more photos!

I have checked out eBay auctions for a while on 3d nail art and always thought it was kinda pricey. Usually it's a few pieces for a few dollars and they usually aren't that great looking. I know you can buy the molds and make them yourself but that is a bit of an investment. So I was very excited to see these Kiss Nail Artist 3D Charms. I've seen two different designs, both feature a 4-5 true 3D pieces and many unique different shape and sized gems.

I couldn't wait to try them out. I pulled out some of the other things I had from eBay- the little pearls, some extra little gems (because I have a ton, there are some in the kits) and fimo slices. From the kit I used the big pink bow, ice cream cone, big purple flower (which I stuck to my finger with nail glue -_-), the little disco-ey gem on my ring finger, the green teardrop (these are so pretty), oval purple gem and several of the small ones.

The kit comes with a little tube of nail glue, which is what I used to stick these on. A couple of these are kind of curved to better stick to the nail bed, specifically the purple flower. This is day 5 and I'm shocked to say I've lost one tiny gem so far and 4 of those days I've worked. I keep expecting to lose them because I have certainly not been nice to them.

I am very pleased with this kit, enough to have purchased an extra one already (which I'm considering putting in a giveaway if I ever get around to it). I found these at Walgreens, they were on sale BOGO50%.

Sinful Cinderella swatches

2012-01-26T09:23:00.000-05:00

I know I've said it so many times before but...I'm in love!
Clicky for more photos!

Cinderella is so perfectly named, it's a baby blue loaded with...I'm not really sure how to describe it. Kinda teeny tiny pink iridescent flakies? It's absolutely gorgeous. I did use 3 coats and still had a little bit of VNL, to me that isn't a deal breaker.

And the more I use Sinful Colors the more I love them. I've had this on for 5 days with no chips at all, which I've found with a decent base coat is pretty common with them (I use Nailtek Foundation 2 as mine) and of course they are $1.99 which you can't beat.

Have you found Cinderella in stores yet?

Hard Candy Glossaholic review and swatches

2012-01-24T10:29:00.000-05:00

Today I have a quick review and swatches of Hard Candy Glossaholic lipglosses. Keep reading to see more...

If you've seen the beauty of a flakie filled polish then you can understand my excitement when I spotted these in the store. This isn't the first time I've seen this kind of thing, Cover Girl attempted it and it turned out an epic disappointment. I first picked up Coffee. Coffee is named for it's scent, not it's shade. It is a milky clear absolutely loaded with iridescent warm gold/yellow flakies. There is the main color line of Glossaholics and then two "mood" glosses. Coffee is obviously scented with coffee but also something like ginger. The scent of it is kind of gross in my opinion but it fades quickly. I don't notice any taste.

The texture is exactly what I like in a gloss, not sticky or too slick. For a gloss it lasts pretty decently but still needs touch ups quite often, like every hour (but I lick/bite my lips A LOT).

After trying Coffee I purchased Fairy, a milky pink with iridescent purple/pink flakies. I like this one even better than Coffee. And I wish I could capture these in the sunlight, they flash so beautifully and the flakies really pop.

Last but not least, the brush. I was surprised when I pulled out this sucker:

This is compared to a normal doe foot applicator. I personally like the oversized one but I can see how many people wouldn't. It holds plenty of product so I don't have to dip the wand over and over and over.

Have you tried these? What do you think of the giant applicator?

Recent purchases and upcoming swatches/reviews!

2012-01-23T10:43:00.000-05:00

This is my list of recent purchases/things I've acquired. I don't really wanna call this a haul because it's purchased over a couple of weeks and the point of this post is more for you to see some new product. If there is anything I post you would specifically like to see swatches/reviews on sooner than others please drop me a comment. It helps motivate my butt into gear!

First up are a few gifts from one of my lovely friends...

MAC Forest eyeshadow duo. I'm not usually a huge fan of MAC eyeshadows but these seem pretty decent.

MAC Pink Shock cream color base. This is my first ccb, see how it goes! She also gifted me some pigment in Reflects Copper and Fuchsia glitter but I forgot to grab pictures.

Illamasqua blush in Lover. I have heard so many good things about this line and I fell in love with this color.

Make Up For Ever aqua liner in 1. Remember I am obsessed! This one was out of stock since before the holidays.

Hard Candy Glossaholic in Coffee and Fairy. I also picked up a tube of their Plumping Serum in It Girl (clear) but I couldn't get it to photograph at all.

Kleancolor polish in Blue Satin, Salsa, Starry Night...

...Sparkle Emerald, Melon Green, Mango

Sinful Colors in Cinderella and Blue By You. These are 2 of the new core shades coming to Sinful. I know there are two others, Bikini (hot hot pink) and Amethyst (medium purple cream). The other is Finger Paint Catwalk Queen, which I can't get to mix up right and I need to get some BB's to add! I want to try to white it out and match my skin tone for nude nails.

Orly polish in Twilight, Shining Star, Fowl Play

L'oreal has a whole new line of polish out and honestly the majority are super duper boring buttt I had coupons and so I found some shades to try. Versailles Romance, Jet Set to Paris, Safari Chic.

Sally Hansen has sooooo many new products it's ridiculous. I picked up Coral Reef from the new Xtreme Wears, Black Tie from the new Diamond Strength (along with Something Blue, which I already swatched) and Lady Luck from the Gem Crush collection. I also picked up Be-jeweled but it's put away already and I don't feel like digging. There are also a ton of new Salon Effects out, I got Tattoo Much and have already worn them (photos/review coming soon).

New Kiss 3D charms. I bought the two packages I found of these, they have a bunch of little nail art things and look awesome! Can't wait to try them.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Ad FOTD

2012-01-22T11:35:00.000-05:00

Seeing as the look in the ad is what sold me on this product, I decided to do a quick take on it. It's also a very quick FOTD for when I'm lazy :P

Products used:
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tenacious Teal
L'oreal Telescopic liquid eyeliner
L'oreal False Fiber Lashes mascara
Tarte Clean Slate Primer
Cover Girl Natureluxe foundation
Wet n Wild bronzer in Reserve Your Cabanan(for us pale girls!)
MAC blush in Peachykeen
MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 lipstick
Avon Glazewear in Clear

Maybelline Color Tattoo- 4 more shade swatches!

2012-01-21T11:17:00.001-05:00

I was so impressed with the performance of Tenacious Teal that I picked up four more shades! Keep reading for my review and swatches of them!

Pomegranate Punk: This is a dark wine which on me pulls kinda plum-burgundy. It has fine gold shimmer. I bought this thinking it leaned more red, because those colors make my eyes lean crazy green but this doesn't quite do that. Still a pretty color and not one we see very often in the drugstore. Out of the 5 shades I have tried this does seem to be the sheerest and most difficult, even when I try to build it up.
Bold Gold: Is a slightly darkened true gold with an almost metallic finish. I think this makes a great base for golds and browns that you want to have some extra oomph.

Too Cool: A basic white shimmer that you've probably seen a million times but this is a great base. This can be applied sheer enough that it doesn't look overly frosty and the white makes your colors pop a little extra. There needs to be more drugstore options for bases/primer and I would say this is a great one.
Tough as Taupe: I'm honestly not positive how I plan to use this one, from the couple of swatches I had seen and what it looks like in jar I had expected it to be lighter. When I smudged the surface to make this swatch I was very surprised to see that the color that lurked just below was a few shades darker than on the surface. It is the only matte shade I have picked up and I'm kind of stumped on how to use it, suggestions? As for color it is a medium toned gray-taupe with the slightest possible hint of purple in it (at least on my skin).

Maybelline Superstay 14 Hour lipstick review

2012-01-15T12:20:00.002-05:00

I hate long wearing lipsticks. They are always super drying and uncomfortable, never do they wear as long as they claim and normally they are a pain to remove. But...I lost my beloved MAC Candy Yum Yum somewhere (this brings me so much sadness I can't even explain, if anyone has a tube they are looking to sell or swap, hit me up) I have been looking for an even close replacement. The image they are using to advertise this product (you can see it here, although on the display it looks much brighter and doesn't have that sheen to it) looked like such a gorgeous hot pink. This is one of those products that they package so you can't really see or tell what the real color is. So I grabbed the shade she is wearing in the ad "Eternal Rose"...

Which photographed in the tube much brighter than it is, because here it is on the lips:

Which leads me to say this: I am sick and freaking tired of false advertisement! I know that companies make loads of false claims, that doesn't even really bother me. I like to test products for a reason. But when they are using this hot ridiculous neon pink to ADVERTISE AS THE FACE OF YOUR PRODUCT and then said product is NOTHING LIKE THAT then please explain WTF are they thinking? They are advertising that shade why? Because they want people to buy the product, which in my opinion means they expect people to want and purchase this hot freaking pink. So why does it not exist in the line at all? Why is the color instead just another boring old rose? Why do we have to lie and over saturate the colors in our ads when we could just be making the product to being with?

And I am simply SICK of the same old shades being released in every drugstore collection. It's boring! Throw a fun shade in once and a while!

Alright, back to the actual product. Obviously I am completely and totally disappointed in the color. I own so many colors that are exactly like this. As for feel, it goes on pretty easy and not dry at all but after about an hour of wear it does seem a little drying. It starts off pretty shiny but that dulls down pretty quickly. I tested this by eating a snack and drinking through a straw while working a 9 hour shift anddddd...it lasted about 5? Kinda? The inner rim of my lip was worn off pretty badly and the color was a lot less visible at all. This is also disappointing, I get 9 hour wear out of some MAC lipsticks that aren't long wear, are less drying and I can eat a full lunch with it on and not worry.

So, I have to say this is a pass. There is nothing really special about this line, the colors or the wear and for $8.99 there are surely better products.

Maybelline Color Tattoo review

2012-01-14T09:45:00.000-05:00

I am a sucker. I have to try everything, even if I expect it to be horrible, I just have to try it. This season the drugstore brands are all coming out with supposed long lasting cream eyeshadows. Now, I don't know about you but I have never found a cream eyeshadow from the drugstore that wasn't complete and total crap. They always end up a sloppy mess in my crease 5 minutes after applying, primer or no primer. Even high end cream shadows usually turn out to be horrible. So when Maybelline came out with supposed 24 hour cream eyeshadow you know I was allll over that.

I picked up the color Tenacious Teal, it just looked so awesome on the model. Here is one swipe and two swipes swatched on my wrist...

And a very quick swatch on the eye...

Maybelline Color Tattoo comes in a little glass jar similar to MAC Paint Pots and almost exactly like Benefit's Creaseless Cream (which are totally not creaseless). On first swipe it feels similar to a Paint Pot, silky and not greasy. Color payoff is pretty good although I did need more than one swipe to get the look I desired. I will say it is not as pretty as the advertising makes it, but how often is it?

The first application I only wore a couple of hours, but the next time I wore it was for a nine hour work shift. I was surprised to find that it held up perfectly all day! Not even a hint of creasing and the color was still vivid.

My one complaint is about creams in general, I find them a little difficult to blend with regular eyeshadow which limits the use. I find them much easier to use as an all over lid color but I did wear it blended with MAC Bright Fuchsia pigment. This photo is after about 5 hours of wear...

Based on this color I will most likely be trying a couple others! They have a gorgeous purple and a rich gold I may have to pick up. They sell for $6.99 and can be found at most drugstores including Walgreens & CVS.

Wet n Wild's I Love Matte palette review & FOTD

2012-01-13T21:13:00.000-05:00

Wet n Wild came out with a palette during the holidays called I <3 Matte. I picked this palette up solely in hope that the purple in it would be decent. I could almost see the disappointment but in search of the perfect purple, I just had to try. This is the first of the new 8 style palettes that I picked up. The 8 pan palettes sell for $4.99, which makes them a pretty great value. However, half of the I <3 Matte palette is basic brown matte shades that I have from a previous Wet n Wild palette. I would have liked to see more brights instead.

My anticipation of disappointment was correct. Upon swatching I found all the colors to be creamy and pigmented except for the purple! The color I purchased it for :( It went on patchy and chalky. Trying to use it on the lid just did not work. Some of the colors I would almost call too creamy, they easily break in the pan if you aren't careful.

Because I've done so many FOTD's with neutrals I used the white, blue and green for this FOTD.

Products used:
UDPP
Wet N Wild I <3 Matte palette
MUFE Aqua Liner liquid in 8
L'oreal False Fiber Lashes

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Something Blue

2012-01-12T20:16:00.000-05:00

One of the new Diamond Strength polishes, I'm not sure if it is LE. It is from a different display than the new core shades of Diamond Strength but this display also features new Salon Effects which I thought weren't LE. Anyway, Something Blue isn't really blue at all. It's more of a silver-white with blue iridescence and teeny iridescent glitter. This is 3 coats and there is still some VNL showing through, pretty strong in some light. It's a pretty color but I felt kinda meh with it on. The formula is alright, not too thin or thick. The brush is a little cheap feeling in my opinion and the other bottle from this line I bought had a very bent/curved brush.

The wear is actually pretty good, I use my Nailtek Foundation II as a base and usually Poshe as my top coat and even with working everyday I can get a good 5 days with no chipping at all.

There are a few other shades in the new line that I would like to try, although I was disappointed that they brought back majority of the shades in the new bottles with only a few new ones. A lot of those colors are just so common that I would have liked to see them replaced with something with a little more oomph. If we're gonna redesign and reformulate then why not?

I picked my bottle up at Walgreens for $5.99 and a BOGO50% sale. Have you tried the new formula yet?

Neutrogena Microdermabrasion Kit review

2011-12-25T22:36:00.000-05:00

Forgive me, I forgot to take pictures for this post!

I've recently been trying to take better care of my skin. It is my belief that the better you take care of our skin today, the better it will be years from now. One of the products I recently decided to try was the Neutrogena Microdermabrasion kit. When I was going through Cosmetology Microdermabrasion was a big new spa treatment where crystals basically took off layers of dead skin, if felt like a cats tongue and it was applied by a little tube being slowly run over your face. I was a wee bit hesitant to try it but when I came across a $3 coupon I decided to give it a go.

The kit includes 12 "rejuvenating" puffs, 2 AA batteries, attachment head and of course the applicator. Mine came with a bonus refill pack of puffs. The applicator is a little handheld, very similar to the Olay Pro-X. It's just a white little handle that fits well in your hand with a "pad" at the top and a switch on the back. It has a waterproofed battery compartment (that is quite difficult to open) despite a warning on the box saying not to even hold it under running water. It has 2 speeds which vary only slightly. The attachment head clips on to the top "pad" of the thing and has this weird almost velcro like texture to it which is meant for the puffs to cling to which works better than I expected. The puffs are kind of like cotton rounds and one side is coated with rough little blue "crystals". They also have a floral scent to them which I could do without (scent = unneccassery chance of irritation in my opinion).

Now, I had thought the thing was going to spin or something but what it does is just vibrates, quite hard. The instructions on the box are quite vague: "Massage 1 to 2 minutes per facial area. Rinse and discard puff." No, there are no other instructions in the box. Okay Neutrogena, game on. First off, what exactly is the definition of a "facial area"? Second, am I supposed to massage slow or fast? Soft or hard? In circles or strokes? Not even a warning about the eye area either? For a product designed to be kind of rough on the skin they really don't go into great enough detail in my opinion.

You know what is on the box though? Claims, and lots of them:
Today: pre-dosed puffs deliver the perfect degree of gentle exfoliation with ultra-fine crystals and mild purifiers.
Tomorrow: Massaging micro-vibrations boose surface cell turnover for firmer, younger- looking skin.
Instantly: 91% had smoother, more luminous skin.
1 week: 88% had visible improvement in the look of fine lines.
4 weeks: 88% had siginificantly reduced appearance of wrinkles or age spots.
8 weeks: 72% had substantally firmer- looking skin.

In purchasing this product I was looking to minimize my pores, exfoliate my horribly dry skin and get rid of the dead skin cells giving my skin it's dull and uneven appearance. They do mention it being used for pores elsewhere on the box but not in the claims on the back.

So here are my thoughts on how it worked...A pulsing and vibrating disc pressed against my skull does not feel good or gentle. The crystals are rough on the skin, especially if used 1 to 2 minutes per "facial area", yet somehow it didn't manage to exfoliate my dead skin away anywhere near as well as a standard scrub does. The puffs do produce a nice lathery foam that I did like. I used it for 1 week and saw no improvement in my skin at all. After the first use my skin certainly did not feel smoother, if anything it felt more dry than it began. I suggest skipping the Neutrogena Microdermabrasion Kit, $21.99 and opting for a standard facial scrub and leaving the microdermabrasion to the professionals.

Urban Decay: The Revolution?

2011-12-19T22:31:00.000-05:00

I said this would be up last night but Blogger was just not cooperating so here it is now...

When I first heard about Urban Decay's new eyelash curler, dubbed The Revolution, I was overly excited. Long had I wished I could curl my eyelashes without crimping the outer corner into a ridiculous L shape. On my first visit to Sephora when it came out, I talked myself out of buying it. I find it quite hard to pry $19 out of my wallet for an impliment like the eyelash curler which I can buy for $3 at the drug store. And they didn't even have one you could pick up and play with or even really look at.

Now, I just need to go off on a little tangent here about Sephora. At least, my local Sephora which isn't all that local at an hours drive away in Albany. How is the service at your Sephora? Here it usually seems none existent. I may have ended up buying the damned thing the first visit if one of the associates could have bothered to ask me if I needed help on any of my five laps around the store. I wanted to see if they had tried it, heard anything or perhaps had one somewhere I could play with for a second? Not to mention the absolute mess the testers and products are in, how am I supposed to buy a product when the boxes are all mixed up? And when I get to the counter a smile would be nice! I've even complained about this before to Sephora but they don't seem to give a damn. Sephora: your products are expensive, I do not enjoy spending my hard earned money in a store I am treated like crap in.

Back on track, I ended up coming back to the store a couple months later and splurging on it. I anxiously brought it home and opened it up to play with...
Disappointment. I just could not get the thing to line up right. The whole gimmick of it is that it's missing the bars on the sides that normally constrict your lashes and cause pinching. Well, I pinched. Everytime. I just could not get it aimed, the depth perception of where I had to crimp was off because, well there was an eyelash curler in my eye. I tried about five days in a row and couldn't get the hang of it and the couple of times I did manage to find the sweet aka not pinchy spot it didn't curl very well. I don't know if the pads just don't have enough squishy "give" to them but I had to squeeze SUPER hard to get it to curl them noticeably. And then they were awkwardly curled. Oh, and those little pads? They include extras. Because they fall out! At least the ones in mine did, which is why I only tried it for five days. When I lost the little pads I deemed this product had sailed away on the fail boat and would be cruising back to Sephora.

Cosmetically, another complaint I have is the finish on the thing. When you first take it out of the box it is so shiny and pretty but it is a fingerprint magnet and those fingerprints are very noticeable.
I guess that the little cage on the curler isn't such a bad thing, it's better than poking yourself in the eye or crimping down on your lid. It prevents me from getting too close to the base of my lashes and that's a good thing.

Have you tried The Revolution?

Random Post!

2011-12-18T02:32:00.000-05:00

Let me start off by saying: I currently have no 'net. Which is why I have disappeared. I also have recently gained a promotion to Head of Cosmetics in my sweet retail job so have been working more. I have also been horrible and not even bothering to take photos of anything I do with my nails or makeup although for the most part it's been rather boring. But, I have photos already edited for a review of the Revolution curler from Urban Decay so I should hopefully have that up tomorrow night. For now, here is a random picture post. Hope you enjoy <3

Let's start with some sweet bathroom pics from work...

Dressed up...

Halloween...

My birthday...my first successful Victory roll!

My newest obsession, MAC Let's Skate! Paint pot

My new lazy makeup, blended eyeliner. I used the Prestige white liquid liner and the rest are MUFE (hot pink, red and purple...I hate how their names are coded to numbers because I just can't remember them) which are also my other new obsession. Taken after 9 hours of wear!

Anyone watch Rupaul's Drag Race? I LOVE it. Stacy Layne Matthews and Carmen Carrera (my fave <3) recently came here to perform so here I am with them. I look a little ragged, I came off a 9 hour shift and this was at like 2am so I was exhausted.

My newest tattoo and my Bioshock one filled in, not sure if I ever posted that! The Octopus is fresh, he was done yesterday. You can't quite tell but he's holding a little compact and everything. When it's filled in it will be sea green and pink mostly. Both done by the awesome Rhiannon from Shocker Tattoo in Albany.

Nutra Nail Gel Perfect Color review

2011-11-08T00:15:00.000-05:00

I don't even have internet service right now but I just have to write this review. I didn't even take pictures of this product and for that I'm sorry but it really doesn't even deserve that effort! I will not be using this again.

I recently tried a new product called Nutra Nail Gel Perfect UV-free gel color. This product comes with 3 teeny bottles: Gel color, activator and cleaner. I've only seen it offered in 4 shades, all solid no shimmer colors. I tried Lily Pink, a medium toned no thrills pink cream. These sell for about $13.99 ::cough::ripoff::coughcough::.

Now, this obviously isn't your normal nail polish. Let's check out the claims we have here:
*Applies Like Polish- quick and easy application.
*Protects nails from breaking- gel color activates to form a rock solid shield.
*Ding free protection
*Sets in just 5 minutes
*creates a patent leather shine that lasts
*easy to remove

Basically, they are saying this is just like polish but it doesn't chip, dries completely in 5 minutes, protects your nails and is all shiny and pretty!

Pfft, yeahhhhh right!

Now let's see how those instructions look...have you ever seen a polish with instructions like a box of hair dye? Now you have! Here is the jist of it:
*Put down papertowels
*Unscrew all 3 caps (best not be clumsy and make a mess!)
*Apply a thourough coat of activator to first hand. Enough to make nails wet and shiny but not too much! And try not to get it on your cuticles even though it's super runny. Don't touch it!
*IMMEDIATLY apply a THIN coat of gel- color. Use slight pressuer so it will blend with the activator, whatever that means! Really, it just kinda floats all over in a way I can't even EXPLIAIN so just give up on not getting it on your cuticles and only using a little.
*Clean the brush, wipe that thing right on down with some paper towels and then put that brush in the cleaner and use the brush that's in the cleaner instead. Annoying? Nah!
*Repeat, and then repeat again for a 2nd coat which they assure will be enough but it isn't because it's still streaky.

Yeah, it's just a little walk in the park. Just like using regular polish! And to make it all better it smells like nail glue! Don't get it to close because it makes the eyes WATER and then you can't move quick enough! And if you put too much on you'll have lumpy nails!

So yeah, if my sarcasm was too subtle let's just say it's annoying to apply. But, it might be worth it all if the product was any good. So is it?

Well, let's break down those claims one by one (we'll skip the like polish one):

*protects nails from breaking- well, seeing as how I broke THREE nails while wearing this product for THREE days (one of which I was simply lazy) I'm going to just call bulldookie on this.
*ding free protection- within 2 hours of being at work I managed to get my first of many chips, which rarely happens with regular polish.
*Sets in 5 minutes- I will agree with this but if you put too much activator and/or polish it will take forever and you have to apply yet another coat of the cycle.
*Patent leather shine- the first day it was fairly shiny, and just like regular polish as it wears it gets dull.

There were a couple other things about this product I just simply did not like:
After a day I started noticing redder splotches throughout my nails, something was causing them to become slightly discolored. I also started to see tiny cracks all over my nails, when my nails would get knocked the color broke instead of bending with my nailbed. It also feels disgusting when you do get it on your cuticles, kind of like nail glue.

Now about the removal...Nutra Nail is also selling No mess Express Gel Perfect Remover kits which sell for about $6.99. They contain 5 little foil envelopes that you are supposed to soak the color off with. They are simply wide pads soaked in (super highly offensive smelling) acetone. Don't waste your money. The foil packet is supposedly to allow you to soak all your fingers on one hand at once. Let's simply say it doesn't work. Glorified crap. As for general removal it actually wasn't bad.

But you know what I REALLY didn't like about this product? After I removed it from all my nails I came to realize that it had left them damaged. The top of all my nails is now peeling and dry and flaky, which is nothing like my nails were when I put this product on them.

Conclusion? DO NOT BUY OR TRY THIS PRODUCT! If you don't believe me, check out other reviews, I found several saying they also had damage dry nails after removing. I DID take a picture of the damage they did but with no internet I don't really have a chance to upload it right now.

Blood-liner

2011-10-23T12:11:00.000-04:00

As soon as I picked up the Make Up Forever Aqua Liner in 10- a bright shiny red. I never thought I would love these liners this much.

Ominous Kiss

2011-10-22T00:09:00.000-04:00

It's October, which means Halloween. And for the first time ever I really don't have a costume. I honestly don't feel like spending the money on a costume, even a cheapie DIY one. Most likely I'm just going to go with some "spooky" makeup for the day. Over the next couple weeks I'll have a few creepy FOTD's for you, if you have any requests please let me know! I would love a challenge :)

Here's the first one...

Products used:
MAC Bare Study paint pot
Urban Decay Naked palette- Gunmetal
Fyrinnae Looking Glass (inner corner)
Urban Decay Polyester Bride

For the lips:
I applied chapstick (I like Carmex's new Vanilla Twist, maybe I'll write a review) and then patted on Urban Decay's Gunmetal eyeshadow. I dabbed a little of Sally Girl Glitter Gel and then applied a gray/silver glitter. For the second photo I dabbed some clear gloss over.

FOTIDK

2011-09-20T17:51:00.001-04:00

This is pretty pathetic but I seriously can't remember for certain what I used on this FOTD...at all. I *think* it is a Fyrinnae shade (one of the darker super shimmer ones) possibly over MAC Blacktrack paint pot but I really can't say. I do remember that I was told I looked like Snow White. I don't recall her ever wearing dark smokey makeup but I'll take it as a compliment ;)

2011-09-16T22:35:00.001-04:00

MAC Chatterbox lipstick is one of my favorites, if not for the subdued yet super bright at the same time tone then for the way it is super creamy. One of the least drying lipsticks I've found.

I think I used Fyrinnae's Snow Bunny (which I believe is discontinued) and UD Polyester Bride for a highlight. I then used Sally Girl glitter glue and their lilac glitter pressed onto that.

Sinful Cloud Nine

2011-09-16T00:02:00.000-04:00

Probably should have actually posted this with the last post...oh well...

And here is a cute puppy under the cut. My Apoooollo in her raincoat. Being Pouty. She hates the getting wet.

Sinful Cloud Nine + OPI Black Shatter

2011-09-15T00:49:00.002-04:00

aka prolonging my manicure...

2011-09-14T12:37:00.001-04:00

Quick pin-up FOTD using Revlon Fire & Ice lipstick because it's a vintage shade and I'm like that ;) I have no clue what I used on my lid tbh! Seems to be UDPP + UD's Naked Palette's Virgin to highlight and Wet n Wild's Creme Brulee all over. Cheeks I think is Jane in Baby Doll. When I wear red lips I try to keep my cheeks as neutral as possible. Finished off with Milani's Brow Kit. The hairband? From $10 for $10 clearance at Claire's. Loves it!

And that concludes today's lazy-catching-up-post!

Toot-a-loo my dears!

Sun Blonde FOTD

2011-09-14T02:31:00.000-04:00

Using MAC's Sun Blonde from their Surf Baby collection. I hate MAC eyeshadows. Every one I've tried has been pretty horrible. But the swatches convinced me. I fell in love with the dirty almost mustard yellow. But, it pulls completely yellow gold on me :( No sign of the dirty mustard I wanted. I am disappoint.

A return post...and FOTD

2011-09-12T23:13:00.000-04:00

I've been bad. Really bad. I have barely updated in months. Honestly, I got massively overwhelmed trying to keep up with the new job, family, friends and it being summer. And then when I tried to get back on track, my netbook died. Now I have a fancy new laptop (that I got lucky with and got for $100 or I wouldn't be here typing) but with the number of posts I had built up I'm a little lost. I lost track of what I had already posted and most of what I used is no longer fresh in my mind. So here's what I'm going to do. All the posts I have built up (most are FOTDs because I've been horrible at swatching polish) I'm just going to do no-frills posts. I'll write the products I remember, if you want to know something specific I'll try to recall but no promises. No other writing, just pictures until I have all my back log cleaned out.

So here is your first no-frills FOTD post.

Products used: Fyrinnae Looking Glass, Fyrinnae Bali Mynah, Make Up Forever Aqualiner #9

And while we're here...
I would like to thank all my readers for sticking around. I really appreciate everyone who visits my blog and I hope I can manage to keep it interesting for you guys!

EOS Shave Cream review

2011-08-24T19:10:00.000-04:00

I recently picked up a couple bottles of EOS Shave Cream when they were on sale for 2/$2 after Register Rewards and included a disposable BIC Soliel razor each.

EOS Shave Cream comes in 6 scents: Pomegranate Raspberry, Lavender Jasmine, Island Blue, Cucumber Melon, Vanilla Bliss and Sensitive- Fragrance Free. For this review I choose the Lavender Jasmine scent.

The packaging is color coded to scent (light purple for Lavender Jasmine) and is a tall plastic pump bottle- which won't leave rust on your tub- containing 7 fl oz of product.

The scent of Lavender Jasmine is faintly floral and slightly fruity. Both named notes are pretty common but I can't see to really detect either. I buy products based on scent most of the time so this was kind of disappointing. A sniff test of the other bottle I bought, Vanilla Bliss, also fails to meet any type of "bliss" I would describe.

EOS Shave Cream is advertised as "ultra moisturizing, paraben-free with natural aloe and shea butter" and can be used wet or dry. The ingredients do list shea butter, aloe and oat extracts. One thing EOS boasts about this shave cream is that it can be used dry or wet. The texture is really more similar to a lotion than anything. If you've seen the advertising you would have seen a product that looks like a thick luxurious whipped cream. Nope, not what you get at all.

When used dry this product feels like applying lotion, wet it also does but with a melting effect. To do my leg from the knee down or my arm (yes, I shave my arms) it takes about FIVE pumps of product. To me, that seems pretty excessive. And I could do for an extra pump or two because really, no one likes the feeling of a razor on bare skin. Wet or dry, it's unimpressive. When wet it is way too thin, dry it drags.

Does it leave skin feeling softer than before? Not noticeably, other than the obvious fact that my legs are now shaved.

Would I buy this product again? Honestly, no. I will probably end up giving away my other bottle and going back to a more traditional (and likely cheaper) shave gel/foam/cream.

You can find EOS Shave Cream in most drugstores and on drugstore.com for around $4.99.

Have you tried these? Interesting in trying them?

Kinda Goth FOTD

2011-08-15T09:13:00.001-04:00

Trying to get back in the swing of things! I am now operating on a laptop I was lucky enough to buy off a friend of a friend for $100. It was a super deal because this is a pretty pimpin' laptop lol. Anyways, I don't really have much to say on this but wanted to show some activity on the blog. I need to get back into posting and trust me- I have no shortage of posts backed up for you! Hoping to finish up a nice little review on EOS Shave Cream for you tomorrow (no promises) so stay tuned!

I actually don't really think this look is very gothic at all but I think it comes off that way with my skin and hair. Even when I'm not wearing makeup people have referred to me as "that goth girl" (I'm talking customers at work mainly) so why not embrace it once and a while? ;)

Products used:

UDPP

Wet n Wild Creme Brulee

Fyrinnae Chrome

MAC Deep Purple pigment

Fyrinnae Black Plum

Maybelline Ultra Liner

Maybelline Great Lash BIG mascara

Revlon Mineral Mousse foundation

MAC Bite of An Apple

MAC Deep Attraction lipstick

I haven't forgotten...

2011-08-08T14:10:00.000-04:00

I haven't forgotten about you! I had an issue with my netbook's power cord for months and was too cheap to replace it and then it just pooped out on me one night. And then I ordered one and sometime in between it arriving I managed to crack the screen. I don't know if you've ever seen what can happen with a cracked laptop screen but it ain't purty. On an already mini sized screen I now have 1/3th of the viewing space- most of which is covered in trickles of black wherever it cracked. Not easy to work with, and all my photos are on it. And it's just getting worse. And it's blue screened me twice which probably isn't a good sign. I'm working on moving things to my desktop so bare with me!

Turquoise FOTD

2011-07-19T11:28:00.000-04:00

Products Used:

UDPP in Eden

Wet n Wild Creme Brulee

Fyrinnae Chrome

Fyrinnae Bali Mynah

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

Maybelline Great Lash BIG mascara

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

Mary Kay mineral powder foundation in Light 01

MAC Sweetness blush

MAC Cute-ster lipstick

Glowing Green FOTD

2011-07-18T11:09:00.002-04:00

Products used:
UDPP in Eden
MAC Pigment in Golders Green
MAC Pigment in Night Light
MAC Pigment in Emerald Green
Fyrinnae Jade Ghost
L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner
Cover Girl Lash Blast Length mascara
Milani Brow Kit

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse
Revlon Photoready pressed powder
MAC Sweetness blush

NYX Soap Opera Queen lipgloss

Playing with the UD Naked palette & MUFE 9

2011-07-16T12:12:00.003-04:00

I never thought I would spend $23 on an eyeliner. I also never thought I would spend $23 own an eyeliner and not regret it. I have even been considering what my next purchase will be. While I own a ton of colored liner, none of them work as well as Make Up Forever's Aqua Liner. They always take forever to dry or are thin or lumpy. Not this one- I love everything about it, the color is so awesomely bright, application is nearly perfect (the applicator is a little on the hard side), waterproof, lasts forever, no-flaking.

This was also my first day playing with the new Naked palette. I always end up overwhelmed by all my choices when I get a new palette so it wasn't my best. I overloaded myself with light shimmery shades ;)

Shopping with DDD Vol I

2011-07-15T11:48:00.002-04:00

This isn't going to be a normal feature, I don't shop *that* much. But since I got a new job I have been treating myself a little. I am usually pretty good at resisting temptation...

When I was pursuing Sephora's site one morning I realized that both of my current HUGE lemmings were actually in stock- neither of which I had expected to be. The new Make Up Forever Aqua Liner in 9 and the ever elusive Urban Decay Naked palette. And I actually had room on my card so I took it as a sign and placed my order (I can rationalize anything :P). My deluxe samples were a Murad Pomegranate Exfoliating mask (which I didn't like, I can't recall which one though), Fresh Soy Face Cleanser which I would consider purchasing and Perfekt's Cheek Perfecting Gel which I really liked (but it's no cheaper than Benetint, which is what I am looking to dupe). I also got a free deluxe sample of Bare Mineral's Faux Tan which I am on the fence about. It is a good shade for me to contour with but sometimes won't blend out and ends up looking like a big smudge of dirt.

Sephora still listed the Naked Palette as coming with the double ended eyeliner, but I was happy to see mine actually showed up with the brush instead.

I went a little crackle crazy at a local salon supply store. I got the red, silver, white and turquoise shatters and also an interesting shade from Color Club's Wicked Sweet collection. I couldn't resist it's unique neon-orange with green shimmer- I always get my man-darin. Bath and Body Works also introduced Fresh Lavender as a scent. I absolutely love the scent of Lavender but I have to say I am disappointed, they really don't smell much like it at all. I picked up the hand soap and a sanitizer (along with holder) and another hand sanitizer in Sagitarrius- which really just smells sickingly sweet.

Accessories...I am a sucker for headbands. First from Claire's I couldn't resist the handwritten bow headband and gold leaf bobby pins. Then from Forever 21 (my favorite because I'm a cheap-o) I picked up the rest: gold trimmed sunglasses, black bow bobby pins, peacock feather headband (now to find a place to wear it), nautical knot and floral floppy headband, 2 little pairs of earrings and some banana socks.

I also found this adorable lucky cat :)

What was the last thing you hauled? What can't you resist?

OPI Nice Stems collection

2011-07-14T11:08:00.001-04:00

Admittedly I wasn't very excited about this collection when I saw the press release. Honestly, I have so many pinks that it is hard to find a new gotta-have-it shade. Nice Stems is made up of three base polishes, all in pretty pinks and a gorgeous top coat. Keep reading to see if these rosy hues are worth a look...

Be A Dahlia Won't You? Is a super shiny glass flecked fuchsia with blue toned shimmer if you look in the right light. I expected to have to do 3 coats with this at least but 2 worked well, although the formula is a bit runny. In the bottle this looked like nothing special but once I got it on I loved it...enough to wear it on my tips and toes at the same time (I can't tell you the last time I've done that).

Next up is Play the Peonies. Very soft, delicate pink. The finish is somewhere between a pearl and a seashell which makes it a little streaky (although I didn't notice it at all in real life) but that is also what makes this color unique from similar shades. This took 3 coats to be mostly opaque.

A quick sloppy swatch of I Lily Love You layered over Play the Peonies. I Lily Love You is the glitter coat from this collection. When I first saw the press release photo I knew I had to have it. Most of the time I end up being disappointed in glitter top coats but oh my god...I ended up being more in love with ILLY then I anticipated. It's a sheer hot pink base loaded with multi-size flakies that flash purple, pink, blue and even golden yellow. I don't think it would work on it's own at all- at least not to my tastes (and my nails are not pretty enough bare for me to want to try it) but it is such a unique polish I would call it a must have for any glitter lover.

I Lily Love You layered over Come To Poppy.

Come To Poppy is my favorite polish from this collection. It's a coral-pink with pearly shimmer (although I recall poppies being much more red). It is a soft enough shade that I would consider it office safe but at the same time it's bright enough to be a great summer shade. There is just something about this shade that I absolutely love. 2 coats.

Come To Poppy and I Lily Love You, the manicure I ended up wearing after these swatches.

All in all I was really surprised and happy with this collection. I recommend picking up at least Come To Poppy and I Lily Love You.

See anything you like? Anything you hate?

Glitter Vamp FOTD

2011-07-07T10:32:00.000-04:00

Every single time I use holo glitter for ANYTHING it somehow ends up spilling or something. Currently my floor and netbook are still rather sparkly from this look (at least it's a pretty mess).

Trying to remember what I used...

UDPP in Eden

Urban Decay Deluxe eyeshadow in Zero

Fyrinnae Marshmallow Puffs

Sally Girl glitter adhesive gel

Wet N Wild holo glitter

Milani Brow Kit

Cover Girl Lash Blash Length Mascara

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

MAC Dollymix blush

MAC Candy Yum Yum lipstick

Sea & Sand FOTD

2011-07-06T11:44:00.001-04:00

This is one of those days where I whack my eyelid with my mascara brush. Using that Great Lash BIG it happens quite often. The formula I really like, the brush is so ridiculously bulky though and results in a mess. In real life it isn't this obvious (I tried to get rid of it without totally removing it- that always leaves a bald spot with no primer and I can tell lol) and then I put another coat of shadow over it. But when the camera flash hits it ALWAYS shows.

Anyways, the colors in this FOTD reminded me of the sand and water in Puerto Rico (okay, it's ocean but that doesn't sound as nice).

Products Used:

UDPP in eden

Fyrinnae Marshmallow Puffs

Fyrinnae Pearl Sun

Fyrinnae Anemone

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner (running dangerously low D: )

Great Lash BIG mascara

Revlon Mineral Mousse in Light

MAC Sweetness blush

anddd not in the picture but I wore a sheer gloss.

UD Heat and Honey

2011-07-05T10:31:00.001-04:00

Urban Decay's Heat is such a gorgeous and unique shade. In pan form it looks like a soft brick red. On lid it sometimes looks like a burnt orange, sometimes that soft brick red and a little bit pink. It can go along with so many other colors and is perfect for sunset eyes. It sadly is one of the Deluxe shadows they didn't include in the palette but I think it's a unique enough color that I don't mind paying the $18 price tag. If you've never used one of their Deluxe shadows the texture is so buttery smooth and soft- I highly recommend them!

Products used;

UDPP in Eden

UD deluxe eyeshadow in Honey

UD deluxe eyeshadow in Heat

UD eyeshadow in Sellout

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

Lash Blast Length mascara

Milani brow kit

Summer Brights FOTD

2011-06-30T20:02:00.000-04:00

I was trying to write this last night but Blogger kind of went belly up. So here is a less detailed -because-I'm-tired-and-I-already-DID-this.

I can't think of anything better to pair obnoxious bright orange lipstick with than equally obnoxious lemon lime eyeshadow. All the eyeshadow is from my Manly 120 and the lipstick is MAC M'orange.

Give Me Gold FOTD

2011-06-27T12:27:00.000-04:00

Whenever I don't feel like putting in the effort of selecting shades to use (aka can't decide on a color combo) I turn to one of my quads. No thinking required. This time I tried Maybelline's Eye Studio Eyeshadow Quad in Give Me Gold.

Products Used:

UDPP in Eden

Maybelline Eye Studio Quad in Give Me Gold

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

Maybelline Great Lash BIG mascara

Tarte Clean Slate primer

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

Mary Kay mineral powder foundation

MAC Bite of An Apple blush

NYX Honey lipstick (I think this is too much for my skintone)

IDK FOTD

2011-06-26T12:02:00.001-04:00

I can't think of a clever name for this post so to not further delay this, I'm just going to call it IDK.

This is another look I did using colors from my Urban Decay Deluxe palette, and the highlight is another UD color that I absolutely love- Polyester Bride. It's one of the only eyeshadows I have ever finished a pan of- going on 2. It's the perfect soft pearly white with sparse silver glitter. The glitter I could do without but there is just something special about this shade.

Products Used:

UDPP in Eden

UD Scratch (lid)

UD Polyester Bride (highlight)

UD Ransom (crease)

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

Hard Candy Sparkle Grey liquid liner

Tarte Clean Slate face primer

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

Revlon Photoready powder

MAC Sweetness blush

NUDE LIPS! :P

Orly Coquette Cutie, Ancient Jade, Pure Porcelain

2011-06-23T11:44:00.000-04:00

I loved these colors together so I had to figure out a way to wear them all, since I couldn't decide between them. I used Orly Pure Porcelain as a base, on all nails I layered Coquette Cutie and my highlight nails are topped with Ancient Jade.

Cheapie rose earrings I got off Ebay

Natural light

OPI Miss Universe Collection

2011-06-19T23:24:00.003-04:00

Unleash Your Inner Beauty Queen!

OPI Launches Limited Edition

Miss Universe Lacquers

Pageant-pretty nail lacquers in the new Miss Universe by OPI promotion give fingers and toes added glitz and glamour. Featuring four shades packed with shimmer and sparkle, these limited edition colors capture the energy of the 2011 MISS UNIVERSE^® competition, to be held September 12, 2011, in São Paulo, Brazil.

“Miss Universe is the most popular and publicized beauty pageant in the world,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “We are excited to partner with the Miss Universe Organization, whose contestants provided so much inspiration for rich, high-fashion color.”

With shades ranging from berry and golden pink to electric blue and glittery silver, Miss Universe by OPI provides high-shine lacquers, including:

Congeniality is My Middle Name

And berry-wine shimmer is what I do best!

It’s MY Year

It’s about time for this champagne-rose to shine!

Swimsuit…Nailed It!

An itsy bitsy teenie weenie vibrant shiny-blue bikini.

Crown Me Already!

A sassy silver sparkle that knows what it’s worth.

The Miss Universe Organization named OPI its official nail care sponsor this June. Additionally, Weiss-Fischmann will be a judge for the 2011 Miss USA^®pageant, a precursor to the Miss Universe competition.

Miss Universe by OPI Nail Lacquers contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application. This limited-edition promotion will be available beginning August 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer.

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

###

ABOUT MISS UNIVERSE:

The Miss Universe Organization, a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal joint venture, is a global community empowering role models of beauty, health and leadership for young women of today. The organization is dedicated to partnering with charities around the world, and to increasing HIV/AIDS awareness by focusing on women's health and reproductive issues. For more information, visit: www.missuniverse.com or follow Miss Universe on Facebook or Twitter @TheRealMissU.

Quick and Lazy FOTD

2011-06-17T12:18:00.000-04:00

On my days off I really don't want to do my makeup. When I have to work spending my time carefully applying and thinking things out is a treat but on my entirely free days? That time is precious. But I still will trudge up some effort if I'm going to have to run loads of chores. Here is a quick one I did using my Milani brow kit (that would be this one- in medium).

I really like this kit because it includes a small angled brush that is not so bad other than being teeny, a mini pair of tweezers, a sponge tipped applicator (okay, I've never used that one), 2 brow colors AND my favorite part! A highlighter! It's a very light champagne and an almost glowy kind of shimmer. That means with the right brushes you can do your brows, eyes and highlight the face if you want to.

In this look I used the highlighter all over my lid up to my crease. Then I applied the lighter brow shade in the crease and blended it out really well. The darker shade I used to lightly line my eyes.

I used a quick brush of Mary Kay mineral powder to even out my skin and reduce shine and added a little Jane Blushing Baby Doll blush. To finish it off I very lightly applied NYX Honey round lipstick.

I do suppose my "quick" look isn't very quick, this maybe took me 10 minutes. I personally feel that I don't look "complete" wearing just mascara or just eye makeup.

Products Used:

UDPP in Eden

Milani brow kit in Medium

Maybelline Great Lash BIG

Mary Kay mineral powder foundation

NYX Honey lipstick

What is your "quick" or "lazy" look?

FOTMemorialD

2011-06-15T10:07:00.000-04:00

To celebrate Memorial Day I went to a barbecue with friends and decided to get a little bit glammed up. However, I didn't have much time to snap photos and decided to do it in the car. And then realized my dslr is too large to operate in my friends Jetta (I have an old van- plenty of room) so I couldn't get any good pictures so I apologize for the crap quality of these!

Products used:

UDPP in Eden

Manly 120 palette (just white all over and silver in the crease)

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

Wet n Wild Holographic glitter (inner corner, because I wanted a little more glam, didn't quite work out like I pictured it but oh well)

Sally Girl glitter glue gel

Mary Kay mineral powder foundation

MAC Highland Honey blush

As for the lips...I really layered them and didn't pay attention to what I used. I used a red: tint, liner, balm, lipstick, hint o' gloss. I really wanted these to stay! I still would have been better off with plain ol' MAC Russian Red.

Summer Pastels FOTD

2011-06-14T12:42:00.000-04:00

Products used:

UDPP in Eden

White from Manly 120 palette (highlight)

Fyrinnae Snow Bunny (I think this is DC?)

Sally Girl glitter gel

Sally Girl glitter in Lavish Lavender

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

Maybelline Great Lash BIG mascara

Milani brow kit

Tarte Clean Slate primer

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

Mary Kay mineral powder foundation

MAC Sweetness blush

MAC Candy Yum Yum lipstick

Orly Pure Porcelain & SH Distressed Denim crackle

2011-06-12T12:28:00.001-04:00

I fell in love when I saw Pure Porcelain. In bottle this is just ever so softly off-white. On the nail it pulls slightly pink. Love-love-love. But of course, I didn't want to keep it too simple so I added a couple of crackle nails.

After my review of Sally Hansen's crackle in Fuchsia Shock I was ready to not try the other colors at all. But I ended up getting suckered into the blue- Distressed Denim. What can I say, I love crackle! I already missed out on the China Glaze crackles (which it seems I will never get my hands on :( ) so I gave it another go. This is the only time I've tried it so I can't give a full review. I did try it over a pale color and on the thumb it does look slightly sheer. I might go ahead and do another ghetto card of swatches to see how this works. All the other issues I complained about in my review of Fuchsia Shock are still there, especially the wonky brush.

How do you like Pure Porcelain? To pale for your taste or are you loving the white nail trend?

What color would you like to see topped with Distressed Denim?

Double Liner FOTD

2011-06-11T12:06:00.004-04:00

When I am short on time and still want to do something colorful I like to play with my liner. I recently tried this double liner look, but I'm not totally in love with it. I used the NYC liquid liners which I have reviewed before and Ultra Violet is a little difficult to work with. As I had said, the product is kind of streaky and the color is difficult to build. I also have decided I hate the skinny long liner brush it comes equipped with. I find it gives less control because it is longer and I ended up covering more of the blue then I had intended. It's harder to define the "end" of my line because of the brush, so I ended up leaving it at this weird slightly rounded shape in fear of further messing it up. It also seems to get a raised- bumpy texture when you apply a second coat- not good.

Products used:

UDPP in Eden

Urban Decay Sellout (all over lid to brow)

NYC liquid liner in Ultra Violet and Electric Blue

Maybelline Great Lash BIG mascara

Tarte Clean Slate primer

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

Mary Kay mineral powder foundation in light

MAC Bite of an Apple blush

and random pink gloss that I don't remember!

A Feminine FOTD, mismatched earrings and my Bioshock tattoo

2011-06-09T14:26:00.004-04:00

Today's post is a lil of this, lil of that. First I'll share my 'feminine' FOTD. I don't usually do soft colors but I absolutely love this pastel purple shade.

I have trouble sometimes with hitting my lid with my mascara brush. I've been using the Lash Blast BIG and yes, that brush is BIG.

I started off wearing Snob on my lips...

...and then topped it with Toxic Tale when I decided it was TOO much pastels.

Products Used:

UDPP in Eden

Manly 120 palette (all eyeshadow)

Milani brow kit

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

Urban Decay Zero shadow (over liquid liner)

Maybelline Great Lash BIG

Tarte Clean Slate face primer

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse foundation (mix of shades light 1 and 5)

Mary Kay mineral powder foundation in Light

MAC Sweetness blush

MAC Snob lipstick

MAC Toxic Tale lipstick

I have recently been buying a lot of earrings on eBay, I picked up these cute mismatched spoon and fork ones a couple of weeks ago. I think they are so cute! Would you ever wear mismatched earrings?

And here is my newest tattoo, my Big Daddy. I can't wait to go back and get him filled in with color :) BTW, it's really hard to take photos of the back of your leg- even with a remote and tripod. And especially in heels.

This entire leg (instead of a sleeve I'm going to be doing a "legging" as we've termed it) is going to be game themed tattoos, I already have a Silent Hill one on my inner ankle...which I never posted photos of (maybe when I post this one all colored in). This is my biggest piece so far and I love him. His name is Roy :D

Cerulean FOTD

2011-06-07T11:37:00.000-04:00

Really struggling for names here!

I really loved this combo, they are nice and vivid colors from the manly 120 palette. I also patted on some of the blue over some white liner on my waterliner- lasts all day! But I have to be very careful because I don't want to get it in my eyes D:

Products used which I remember:

Manly 120 palette- all shadow

UDPP in Eden

Maybelline Great Lash BIG

Lip Fusion- this is a weird white shade but I can't find it to tell you a name :(

Milani brow kit

L'oreal telescopic liquid liner

Skittle mani with Sinful Innocent, Unicorn, Hazard & Savage

2011-06-07T01:49:00.005-04:00

These colors are fabulous. I was checking out the display I noticed there were quite a few awesome colors that I had never seen before. So I picked out:

Unicorn- banana cream

Hazard- Hot coral pink cream

Innocent- Pastel lime green cream (pastel lime? Yeah, I guess)

Savage- Nearly neon blue cream

I've bought another 4 and there are at least another few I haven't heard of. Are these new shades? Have any of you heard of them or have any idea when they came out?

I am more and more impressed with Sinful. The first photo is taken after four days of wear- working everyday. I topped it with OPI Black Shatter for an extra 2 day wear before I was so sick of it!

Essie Braziliant + fruit slices!

2011-06-03T11:28:00.003-04:00

As soon as I saw the ad for Brazilant I knew I had to have it. Speaking of, I am totally loving their ads lately- including the one for this featuring Braziliant in all it's pure gorgeous shimmering color coating a seashell- google it if you haven't seen (I don't like hotlinking!). This is a gorgeous red-orange with slight pink undertones. Not neon, but packs a punch. I can't wait to wear this on my toesies this summer!

I decided to top them with a little something- some fruit fimo slices and some of those little metal bullion beads in a fuchsia-red. Sadly, I ended up "sliding" the polish on my pointer when I put them on so it got a little messy :( I also still can't get fimo slices to work for me, I think my nails are just too curved and not that the slices were cut too thick like I had thought. The beads I'm not sure if I could get to stay any longer than a couple hours before they started popping off, and they were well embedded in my

top coat- I made sure of that.

Really, I'm just kind of frustrated with all nail art other than simple polish designs. Guess it's a good reason to practice!

Braziliant can be found anywhere Essie is sold, including most major drug stores and Walmart.

Help? Blogger cut/jump?

2011-06-01T23:27:00.002-04:00

Alright, I've googled but I'm really bad at all things even closely related to html. Can someone please help me learn how to make a blogger jump/cut? I've been trying for a while- I know all the images on my front page must slow it down!

Manly 120 palette- swatches of every shadow!

2011-06-01T23:18:00.003-04:00

I realized that despite how often I use the 120 palette, I have never swatched it! I had been playing with them on the back of my hand and decided that I might aswell just go for it! Here is all 120 (...actually- except 1 sheer white that was kind of pointless to swatch).

I've said it before, I love this palette and use it nearly everyday. The colors are nothing mind-blowing but if you are looking to bridge some gaps in your collection like I was or a beginner looking for a starting point I highly recommend picking one of these up on Ebay- I paid around $16 shipped for mine! Nearly all of these are greatly pigmented and super smooth, for the price I paid that is about 13 cents a shadow!

Ravenclaw FOTD

2011-05-30T12:58:00.003-04:00

Blue and gold together always remind me of the Ravenclaw house colors, although this wasn't meant that way that's what I'm calling it :P

I really lacked any good photos of this look so today there are only 2 photos...

Products used:

UDPP in Eden

Manly 120 palette (all eyeshadow)

L'oreal Telescopic waterproof liquid liner

Maybelline Great Lash BIG

Tarte Clean Slate primer

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in Light 1

MAC sweetness blush

Sally Hansen Crackle in Fuchsia Shock swatches

2011-05-29T12:44:00.002-04:00

Here is a nice ghetto picture of my swatches, done on paper because after work I'm just too tired to swatch and remove them from my fingers! If you can read my writing (not at it's finest- written in sharpie):

China Glaze- Lemon Fizz

Revlon- Temptress

Borghese Rapido- Menta

Orly- Thorned Rose

China Glaze Shower Together

Sally Hansen- Lickety Split Lime

Orly- Glitz and Glamour

Essie- Going Incognito

Revlon- Stormy

Petites Color Fever- Daze

OPI- Simmer and Shimmer

Borghese Rapido- Limoncello

China Glaze- Millennium

Revlon- All Fired Up

China Glaze- Solar Power

Do you see what I mean, it seems to shift to red or orange over some colors. Darker shades wipe it out completely. It is too sheer to go over something like Simmer and Shimmer. It also does some super weird stuff over some shades- like Going Incognito. All these swatches were completely dry before I applied the crackle, so I'm not sure what caused this. It worked well over Millennium and Solar Power, but that was it for me.

What do you think?

Nice Stems by OPI

2011-05-28T19:05:00.003-04:00

Summer Pinks in Bloom!

Nice Stems! by OPI Revamps Nails with Vibrant Pink Hues for Summer 2011

Stop and see the flowers with summer’s Nice Stems! by OPI, a limited edition collection featuring four new nail lacquers in stunning shades of pink. With whimsical names based on their floral inspirations, these vibrant, flirty colors range from pale, frosty pink to rich fuchsia. NiceStems! offers fingers and toes a perfectly pink shade for all of summer’s looks.

“These vibrant, feminine hues complement 60’s ladylike fashions, 70’s glam looks, and bold color-blocking, which are the season’s staples,” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. “The Nice Stems! collection also offers an interesting contrast and feminine accent to the punk and biker looks on the runways.”

Nice Stems! by OPI shades include:

Play the Peonies

We’d put our money on this lovely soft-pink.

Come to Poppy
Surrender to shine with this shimmering coral-pink.

Be a Dahlia Won’t You?
Give the gift of fabulous fuchsia—to yourself!

I Lily Love You
Fall head over heels with this light pink sparkle.

“Using different micas and glitters can give lacquer a 3-dimensional look,” adds Weiss-Fischmann. “I Lily Love You is a glitter coat that can be layered over any of the other three shades to add a bright sparkle; or, it can be worn on its own for a subtle tint of pink with strands of glitter.”

The Nice Stems! Nail Lacquers by OPI contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI’s exclusive ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

This limited edition Nice Stems! collection will be available beginning June 2011 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer.

For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com. Follow OPI on Twitter @OPI_PRODUCTS and become a Facebook fan!

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Since pink dominates my collection I'm pretty excited about this! And the names are too cute :)

Pink Lemonade FOTD

2011-05-27T09:32:00.000-04:00

I'm not in love with this look, but I'm gonna show it to you anyways :)

This is one of those cases where the colors just didn't blend right, I had a feeling it would happen. The pink blended too much into the yellow and became more of a neon orange or even red :( Oh well, another day, another FOTD, right?

Can you tell how in love I am with my Manly palette right now? I've barely touched my other shadows, poor things!

Products used:

MAC Bare Study Paint Pot

Manly 120 palette (all eyeshadow)

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

Maybelline Great Lash BIG mascara

Tarte Clean Slate primer

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

Mary Kay mineral powder foundation in light

Revlon Photoready concealer in light

MAC Dollymix blush

Mint Chocolate FOTD

2011-05-26T10:23:00.000-04:00

Inspired by my recent Sinful Mint Apple nails I decided to do mint and brown together, a combination I've never tried before. I thought they might have trouble coming together or get muddy in the crease but I actually really liked the results! Sorry for my haggard looks, this was while I was super sick :(

Need to get me some eyebrow wax, my brows stick up no matter what I try!

Products used:

UDPP in Eden

Manly 120 palette (all shadow!)

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

Maybelline Great Lash BIG

Tarte Clean Slate primer

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

MAC Peaches blush

Blue & Purple EOTD

2011-05-25T11:55:00.000-04:00

I seriously could not think of a name for this post! So this plain and boring title is what you get!

I've said it many times before, purple is my makeup enemy! But I think I got the purple to actually work for me this time. I often find Parental Advisory will lean super blue on me :(

Products used:

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden

Manly 120 palette (blue and highlight)

Urban Decay Polyester Bride (right under brow and inner corner)

Fyrinnae Parental Advisory

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

Urban Decay Heavy Metal glitter liner in Metal Head

Maybelline Great Lash BIG

Tarte Clean Slate primer

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse (lately I've been mixing shades)

Mary Kay mineral powder foundation in Light

MAC Sweetness blush

Rediscovering my Deluxe palette FOTD take 2!

2011-05-23T10:55:00.000-04:00

Here is the FOTD I was complaining about in my last post about the UD Deluxe palette. See what I mean about Peace and Graffiti kinda becoming the same color? They are both PACKED ON like crazy to get them to be that far apart. I am disappoint!

Products used:

UDPP in Eden

UD Sellout (highlight)

UD Honey (inner lid)

UD Peace (outer lid)

UD Grafitti (above crease)

L'oreal Telescopic liquid line

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in shade 1

MAC Dollymix blush

Sinful Mint Apple + pathetic attempt at stamping

2011-05-22T10:29:00.000-04:00

How did I not own Mint Apple before? What the heck is a mint apple for that matter?

Anyways, this is 3 coats of Sinful Mint Apple stamped with Sally Hansen Forbidden Fudge. The stamp is from the first Bundle Monster sets. I just can't seem to get the hang on stamping, I always aim a little too far down my nail or end up warping the image. Practice makes perfect, right?

Rediscovering my Deluxe palette FOTD

2011-05-21T10:33:00.000-04:00

I remember when I first picked up the Urban Decay Deluxe palette. I must have used it everyday for months. It is a fantastic palette, the one I own that has gotten the most use for sure. But as you collect, even favorites get forgotten. So last week when I couldn't find my hand-mirror (my preference) I decided this palette's mirror would have to do. And upon opening it I decided to also use it for my EOTD.

This EOTD was way bigger a pain in the butt than I expected. Ransom, the purple crease color, is one I've always had a little trouble getting to show up right. The color isn't a bright purple, it's very easy to wash the purple straight out of the color and I kept having that problem. I had to super pack it in there to get it true to pan.

And actually, now that I've gotten back into using this palette I've realized that quite a few shades are a bit of a pain to work with, kinda washed out and a little sheer (like the upcoming FOTD using Graffiti and Peace where you can barely even see the difference between them). Has anyone else ever thought this or am I solely alone and just being a brat?
Looking back though, I realize why I was so in love with this palette. Because it came with a small vial of Primer Potion. The first primer I ever used, and it completely changed things. Maybe my original love of this palette was one clouded by the power of primer.

Oh, and do you like my stubborn eyelashes? This is the clump on my left eye that naturally doesn't want to separate- lash brush be damned!
Products used:

UDPP

UD Sellout (highlight)

UD Ransom (crease)

UD Honey

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

Tarte Clean Slate face primer

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in shade 1

MAC Sweetness blush

Franken Chaos + SH Crackle Fuchsia Shock review

2011-05-20T11:08:00.000-04:00

You may remember a little while back I showed you a little bit of a franken I made- Chaos. I finally made myself a big bottle of this and wore it as a full mani. And then I went to work and saw we had gotten in the SH crackle polishes and I snapped up Fuchsia Shock.

Before I go any further in this review, I want to show you something weird. When I franken I clean out near empty bottles I have around to mix in. I've done this plenty of times, but the last two bottles I used I had this happen with...

...it's like a gluey consistency and won't seem to break down even with pure acetone. It happened to 2 Seche bottles, I've used them before with no issue so I thought this was weird! Any guesses?

Anyways, back on topic...

I quickly applied a coat of Fuchsia Shock over the polish I already had and was kind of disappointed. When I picked this up I have grand visions of it over so many colors- in my opinion pink goes with nearly any color. So when I brushed it on and the pink barely had enough coverage to go over pale blue, I was a little disappointed. I mean, you can see the glitter in my base polish THROUGH the pink. No Bueno!

So on my other hand I decided to try a thicker coat. Now, I want to say that this is not easy. The brush this polish comes with is small (think Essie) and I can only coat half my nail before this stuff starts to dry. Sometimes if you take too long to apply it it gets mad or something and doesn't quite work right- so you have to move fast. The small brush makes this really annoying and I think that OPI has it right (can't comment on others) with the mop like brush that covers (albeit somewhat messy) in one quick coat.

Just to be sure, I did a bunch of swatches on paper. Which, I have photos of but they are kinda on my dead camera at the moment so I will upload them tomorrow and link later. Among them I tried both dark and light colors and decided that this was one polish I would be returning- which I have never done before. Over dark colors it was pretty much useless. You can't tell that it is pink because it takes on the color beneath it. Even over lighter colors (think pink would look awesome over yellow? SO DID I) it takes on the tone of the base (over yellow it appears orange). If you apply it thick enough this isn't so much of a problem- but I had issues getting it to be consistently thick on each finger.

While I haven't tried the other colors, I have discussed the silver one and have seen it used and it also seems to be more on the sheer side (on her nails it went on more like a metallic top coat and had minimal crackles).

As for how it crackles, I can't put my finger on it but I just don't care for the way it does- both thick and thin. I was over all unimpressed. These retail for $6.99 and can be found in most drug stores.

Anemone EOTD

2011-05-19T10:12:00.000-04:00

5 minutes to create an EOTD? Here's one of my favorite quick looks and way to wear sheerer shades.

Products used:

UDPP

MAC Blacktrack paint pot on lid, blended out

Fyrinnae Anemone over blacktrack

Wet n Wild Brulee for highlight

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

L'oreal One Million Lashes mascara

Anemone is an absolutely freaking gorgeous color but for me it's a little sheer and hard for me to work into a FOTD, but over black it brings out all those gorgeous shifts in the color (Rapunzel Had Extensions is another favorite for this). The reason I really love to do this kind of look is it's not neutral, it works for day or night, you can drop the liner and even the highlight if you must.

What is your go to quick FOTD?

Maybelline Eyestudio quad in Give Me Gold

2011-05-18T11:48:00.000-04:00

I've had this quad for awhile, and never tried it until now. Maybelline in my book is usually a big floppy fail for eyeshadows. How about the Eye Studio quad line though?

One thing I really like about these quads (I think I have 4 of them) is that they are pretty good about all the colors complimenting each other and including a shade light enough to use as a highlight and dark enough for the crease. I absolutely hate using a palette and having to go somewhere else to find a shade to round it out! A palette in my opinion should be "freestanding".

If you've used Maybelline shadows before then you have probably experienced the disappointment of sheer, powdery colors that won't even show up on your lid. So of course, you would probably expect the same from these. Right?

WRONG! While these aren't the most amazing thing I've ever used, they do what I expect. The colors are all very glowy and shimmery (I'm pretty sure NONE of the quads have matte shades) and are easy to blend and also show up how I would expect them too. These aren't going to be super bright colors, keep in mind. The shades in Give Me Gold should work for most colorings, and is a great quad for when I don't have a lot of time to do my eyes. They also looked just as good at the end of the night as when I put them on.

See that black and white spot under that pillow? That's Apollo, she loves burrowing!

Bonus awesome ebay earrings!

Have you tried the Eye Studio Quads? What did you think?

Simple Smoke EOTD

2011-05-17T11:41:00.000-04:00

Done using a random pigment received in a swap only known as Psyche. I can't seem to find where it came from but it's a beautiful dark silver. If anyone has any idea what this product is please let me know!

Products used:

UDPP

MAC Blacktrack paint pot (on lid)

Mystery company pigment in Psyche

UD Polyester Bride eyshadow (highlight)

No clue on anything else, I know I'm horrible!

Manly 120 Green FOTD + Bonus Whining!

2011-05-16T18:52:00.000-04:00

I'm behind on posting pretty bad, I know. I'm still adjusting my schedule to getting back to work. While I'm glad to finally have the income it is a dramatic difference between my free time, energy and how I divide my time. I'm very thankful to have found work finally, but I admit I feel overwhelmed at the moment. Maybe when I have a paycheck in hand I will feel different but...

Of course, day 5 of working my new job and I end up sick. Great. This is at least the 4th time since FEBRUARY I have been sick. So I spent my 2 days off in bed hoping to be better in time to go back to work. Of course, that doesn't seem to be happening as I'm only now developing a fever. Really looking forward to working sick tomorrow, really can't wait.

I remember why I absolutely hate retail (which has nothing to do with customers actually) and it has only been a week since I started. First off, when I interviewed for this position I expected it to be part time (20-30 hours). Not a big deal, money is money. But when you realize how little those extra hours net you and think about what you could be doing with your family...friends...YOURSELF. Second, I don't get sick days until I'm there at least 6 months. If I call in sick it results in discipline. I find this to be bullshit- I feel like I'm not a person but expected to be a robot-work-machine. And this is helpful to no one- working when sick just gets others sick and slows the healing process.

And my feet- holllly hell my feet. I need good work shoes, but they cost a lot of money. Money I won't have for at least another month. My feet *kill* me so bad I avoid walking once I'm home. I sometimes can't sleep they throb so bad. I've tried the inserts and all that junk- doesn't help. And of course, like so many others, I don't have insurance to go have my feet checked or assist in cost of shoes. I'm allowed to lean, stand on one foot, pull a Captain Morgan- pretty much everything but sit. You're going to tell me that leaning like a slob over the counter looks better than a stool? And I'm not suggesting the need to sit on my ass 24/7 but it's simply not healthy for your back, legs, feet, etc to stand 8, 10, 12 hours a day.

There is a whole bunch I would love to rant about but I'm not going to. I know I sound like a whiner but I don't care. Life is about more than money. All in all the place I am working is VERY good compared to others I have, I like the people I am working with and the customers are great. But I'm sure anyone who has ever worked retail knows what I'm saying...

And on top of alllll of that, my last wisdom tooth has decided now is a good time to come in (it's been halfway for about a year) and has been totally irritating my mouth. If you notice swelling of my face (I know you can see it sometimes) that is why.

Now that I've ranted way more than I expected too...I have no idea what I used in this fotd! I only know I used my Manly 120 palette and MAC Peaches blush.

NYX Round Lipstick Swatches Part 2

2011-05-13T11:39:00.000-04:00

Here is the more pink and red side of things. Can't ever have too many pink lippies!

NYX Round Lipstick Swatches Part 1

2011-05-11T11:33:00.000-04:00

These swatches are mainly shades of brown, beige and tan. If you want to see any of these in a FOTD let me know! I'm a little scared of very brownish lippies so this is new territory for me! ;) Enjoy!

Watermelon Sorbet FOTD

2011-05-10T23:31:00.000-04:00

A more soft and subdued pink and green eye :) Honestly, I started writing this entry three days ago. I am exhausted and for the most part don't remember what I used in this look. I need to make it a habit to take a photo of all my products together so I don't forget. I do know I used Face Candy Couture's Pretty- which is seriously pretty-on the inner lid, their Damask Grey under the eye and Prestige Envy liquid liner. I'm sorry I'm of no help!

I got the job I mentioned in a previous entry, it's nothing special just retail. But honestly I forgot how much working retail wipes me out. My feet just do not like it (no amount of inserts work and there is no getting used to it for me). When I get home I just want to curl up and sleep (this could be the morning shifts;)) so I'm sorry for the lack of posts. But, working means more products I can review and also I'm doing my makeup much more often so more posts!

Beauty Blog Link Love!

2011-05-08T13:16:00.001-04:00

Krasey Beauty acquaints herself with the new MAC FashionFlower collection, and you too!

Interested in tinted moisturizers? Pammy Blogs Beauty tests out Origins VitaZing SPF 15 Energy Boosting Moisturizer.

Beauty Info Zone shares some of their favorite ways to tan without the sun using Beautisol and Le Metier de Beaute.

Summer is coming! Make sure your pout is perfect with this product Mary Kay.

Who doesn't love a good highlighter? Musicalhouses shows you the St Tropez Skin Illuminators, one of the most hotly anticipated Summer season items!

Phyrra shows you the new ethereal collection from Meow, the Supernaturals collection and shares the many ways to use them!

Retrodiva samples Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Manhattan oil blend.

Love Chanel Mimosa but not the price? Find out how you can dupe it for under $10 on My Lips But Better.

Tracy at Beauty Reflections tests out the good for you Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipsticks that contain the antioxidant, Resveratrol!

While studying Burberry for her final exam, Miss Beauty Nerd daydreams about gorgeous packaging from the Burberry makeup collection.

Fragrance makes a beautiful Mother's Day gift, see what 5 Spring Scents have Prime Beauty aflutter.

Do you struggle with packing for holidays? Check out what make up products Anita took with her and how much she actually used over at Pleasureflush!

Erin found lipstick that makes your lips look like ruby slippers!

Jo at Music and Make up shows why she can't live without Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy.

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Want soft, shiny hair? Then enter Madame B Fatale's Two Year Blog Anniversary Hair Pack giveaway!

For more links, please visit the BBLL homepage.

Kinda classic FOTN

2011-05-07T17:00:00.000-04:00

I love dressing up. If I can find any excuse to put on my fake eyelashes I'll take it. This time I might have gone a little overboard. I tried to put some individual (the clumps of a few lashes) on my bottom lashes. This worked on one eye but on the other it seems the lashes I used were extra dense or something, which I didn't realize until afterwards (though before I left the house thankfully ;)) so please ignore that! So frustrating when you don't notice something major until it's too late -_-

Anyyyyways...I decided to get my tripod and remote out for once so I snapped a few more photos than usual. My shirt is a little um...busty. I'm sorry about that and I debated about even posting these photos but you know what? My blog, my boobs lol. They aren't anything I can change, I know I'm not alone

Products used:

Wet n Wild Vanity palette

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

kkcenterhk.com lashes #A218 (only top lashes)

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse in Porcelain Ivory

Revlon Photoready concealer in Fair

Hard Candy Blush Crush in Honeymoon

MAC Peaches blush

L'oreal Colour Riche lipliner in All About Pink

OCC Divine Lip Tar

Kitteh in the back:)

I've been told to smile more lol

I've been working on my eyebrows, I think they are improved. Do you?

Essie Turquoise & Caicos + SH Hidden Treasure

2011-05-06T02:04:00.003-04:00

Sorry for skipping a few days on you guys! There have been a few things going on in my world that have kept me from updating.

First off, I started working on my mascara project but was having difficulties with my camera and lack of a macro lens. The damn thing just didn't want to focus on my lashes. I think I have found a way around this now though!

Second, I may be finally going back to work. Wish me luck! I've been out of a job for almost 2 years after I got laid off due to company downsizing. I've had no luck until now in finding work (unless I want to go flip Big Macs) until now. I should find out in a couple of days, I'm really anxious!

And you may notice that DDD has gotten a total makeover. There will be more changes to come in the next couple weeks. I'm hoping overall this layout is cleaner and overall easier to view. If you have any issues viewing please let me know! Along with the layout you may have noticed the new banner. What do you think? It took me forever to decide what I wanted to do with it but I think I'm happy with the way it turned out.

Finally, I have lately just wanted to enjoy the color I put on my nails. I have a whole basket of untrieds but I'd love to wear a polish more than a day.

Which brings us to...Essie Turquoise & Caicos. Of course, I only remembered to snap pictures after I slapped a coat of Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure on it. And then my camera decided it just plain didn't like that combo. If it didn't photograph completely green then the flakies flipped it out. I did my best to capture it but not sure how good they are. I wore this for about 5 days with no major chipping (a rare occurrence between Essie and I). I absolutely loved the way this turned out.

The formula was good, despite the puny brush (does anyone else hate Essie brushes?) but still needed 3 coats due to some bald spots. I did manage to gouge my pointer before they were dry, which I didn't fix. As for the color, I need to do a comparison to see how unique it is but like all blue-green shades I love it ;)

Orly It's Not Rocket Science

2011-04-29T12:36:00.000-04:00

I know this has been on every nail blog on the planet by now but I am only just getting around to it. Pretty bad, right? Anyways, Orly It's Not Rocket Science is from the Cosmic fx collection- which when it came out I picked up 4 polishes and all of them weren't quite as great as the hype had made them seem (yes, including Space Cadet) but It's Not Rocket Science won me over. It's nothing overly complicated but it's super GREEN and super SPARKLY.

I think my initial disappointment in this collection was how ridiculously over the top Orly was about how *~unique~* these were (The MINERALFX technology includes specialty mica, that allows for a clearer, vibrantly bright lustrous shimmer. Crystals allow for a multi-dimensional color transformation. Glass particles carefully controlled in shape and size create a luminous phenomenon. This combination infused with the Silica and specific colors selected create this exclusive technology that gives nails a unique optical effect that’s magnified as the lighting source intensifies or viewing angle changes.- SOUNDS PRETTY MAGICAL RIGHT?). When the press release for these came out I was super pumped up, coudn't wait to get my hands on them...but while the colors were unique, they weren't that uber special. And they weren't unique for long, as at least a couple of these shades have probably close to a dozen dupes by now- Space Cadet and Haley's Comet.

These shades were really prettier in the bottle- they shift beautifully from shade to shade but once on my nails I really didn't notice it other than obvious differences in the sun/shade. INRS is a hard to describe green in my opinion. It has a darker green base with chartreuse specks of shimmer. 3 coats.

I'm done with my mini rant now- you may enjoy swatches below if you are still reading ;)

Psychedelic Sunrise FOTD

2011-04-28T12:34:00.000-04:00

Products used:

UDPP in Eden

NYX Milk pencil

Manly 120 palette (all eyeshadow and waterline)

L'oreal Telescopic liquid liner

MAC Dollymix blush

Like I said last time, really need to start taking pics to remember what I used. I'm sorry I'm horrible guys! I just never use the same mascara/foundation/powder :(

Dollar Tree Finds: NYC 249B

2011-04-27T11:55:00.000-04:00

My local Dollar Trees are horrible, other than an off and on selection of LA Colors they very rare and far between get any other polishes in. This is new from about a year ago, they always had fun Sally Hansen and NYC polishes before that.

The last time I stopped in they had about 8 packages of the same 2 polishes, half of which were leaking already. I've never even seen NYC polish in these bottles before. In store this polish looks so unique. A blurple jelly looking base that seemed more royal purple in some lights and almost brown in others, loaded in gold microglitter. Yeah, no. It's another dark purple with gold glitter. It's pretty but I already own at least 2 other polishes almost exactly the same. The formula on this: horrible. Runny mess. And I really dislike anything with only a number for a name.

Berry Blue FOTD

2011-04-26T23:04:00.000-04:00

Products Used:

Manly 120 palette (all shadow)

Prestige liquid liner in Azure

MAC Sweetness Blush

MAC Viva Glam Gaga lipstick

I need to start snapping a picture of everything I use because I never remember everything :(

2011-04-25T13:31:00.006-04:00

Frankening: Kacey & Chaos

2011-04-25T11:22:00.003-04:00

I don't do a lot of frankening, although I would like to. I never have empties! I decided to mix up a couple to add to a care package I'm working on. Custom mixed polish should brighten anyones day, right?

First there is the one I am calling Chaos. I found a recipe similar to Deborah Lippman's Glitter in the Air over on the tumblr blog nailingit! I played around with it a little and added a couple of things. Here is what went into mine:

OPI I Juggle...Men (about halfway)

Wet n Wild cheapie white

China Glaze For Audrey (just a drop or two)

Wet n Wild Party of Five

Milani Gems

Kleancolor Fireworks

I did a few drops each of the glitters so I could have a good variety of color and size mixed in. I Juggle Men didn't do what I was hoping, although it had looked different when I was playing around with the combo in smaller amounts. Since these bottles are going to someone else and they are mini bottles I only did test swatches. I really want to make a full bottle of this soon! And try it out in a different base color. Please ignore my cuticles and the mess, this is right after I was done mixing everything.

And then I mixed this one, Kacey. I knew I wanted pink and glitter...

Milani HD

China Glaze Pool Party

Milani Disco Lights

Okay, HD breaks down really awesome I think. It makes both fine holo bits and square glitter like bits. Yum!

Beauty Blog Link Love!

2011-04-24T01:49:00.001-04:00

Mariella at Musing On Beauty tries the whole Becca Skin Perfecting Makeup System and reviews all the products for you.

Spiced Beauty is on a crusade to end discolouration, scars and stretch marks with Palmers: Skin Therapy Oil!

Kelly from Gouldylox learns that a nude by any other name is not the same. Or at least this nude looks different on everyone. Any by different, she means gorgeous.

Do you hate messy mascaras as much as Tracy at Beauty Reflections does? Then you should try LashControl Mascara and say goodbye to gloopy mascaras!

Miss Beauty Nerd is a sucker for cute and is hopelessly giddy over Anna Sui's Doll Face lipstick collection.

Nicole from Lipstick and Luxury shares how to get a perfect pout from the NEW Beauty for Real lip glosses!

Kimberly from KimmieKarmaLove has a camera dump and struggles finding the perfect lippie.

Vonnie of Socialite Dreams goes blonde! Check out her Marilyn Monroe inspired hair and makeup look.

Have relaxed hair? See how WEN Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner worked for Kim Porter.

Wedding season is upon us! So if you are getting married then have a read of Makeup Savvy's Wedding Makeup Series for tips on how to look picture perfect for the big day.

Beauty's Bad Habit reviews and swatches uber geek chic indie make-up brand, Shiro Cosmetics.

Check out swatches and a review of Morgana Cryptoria's new Shifty Eyed Eyeshadow Collection at the Pretty Exclusive.

Jellyminx shows you how to recreate the look worn by Megan Fox in the Armani Code ad in this simple tutorial.

With the long awaited sunshine finally arriving, Hellcandy gives a sneak peek at Estee Lauder's new Bronze Goddess Collection for S/S 2011!

***

Beauty Crazed is giving away more makeup then any sane person could possibly want - but who said you were sane? So go enter already!

Beauty Info Zone is celebrating their year anniversary with contests galore. Visit to see the latest MAC giveaway!

NYC Smooch Proof Lip Stain review and swatches + bonus layering!

2011-04-21T11:04:00.005-04:00

I always get suckered into lip stains, I don't know why because the ones I own I barely wear (and I've yet to find one I've liked as much as Benetint) but once again, I ended up picking up 3 new ones to try. This time they are from NYC, maybe it's the pricetag I can't resist for these. How do they compare?

This is what NYC says:

NYC New York Color Smooch Proof 16HR Lip Stain stays put, providing a sheer to intense flush of color that sticks around longer than most guys in the City. This is no on-again, off-again relationship. Color stays faithful for up to 16 hours. Looking for happily ever after for a very happy price? Let your lips do the charming!

For my test I wore Forever Fuchsia on my bare lips, I was in a hurry and just wanted to look "awake". The application on Forever Fuchsia is good, no problems with it going on unevenly (unlike it's sister Berry Long Time). We head out the door to grab a quick bite to eat, I notice that my lips are a little dry (I find this pretty typical for lip stains, but applying balm on top of most seems to make it fade really quickly). After lunch we went to my parents house to visit, where I sipped a glass of Limeade (mmmm) after which I decided was a good time to check out my lip stain wear, this was about an hour after application at most. What I saw was not pretty, I was left with patchy bald spots and general fading. Remember, this product claims it's capable of 16 HOUR wear time. If you claim 16 hour wear I would expect it to make it through a very small lunch and sipping of a beverage.

Another thing I've started noticing, NYC is known for it's cheap pricing, but these retail for $4.99. I'm not saying that is expensive but is it just me who sees their prices creeping up? If you are looking for a quality drug store lip stain, I recommend Revlon's Just Bitten line. These feature a balm on the other end that doesn't make the stain melt away for a couple dollars more (as I write this they are on sale at Ulta for $5.39!).

Would I recommend these: No!

Have some swatches:

To combat the suck I layered a couple of these with some new Liquid Lip Shines (I'll have swatches of them alone soon).

And this one, the My-Lips-But-Worse look...

Leafy Paradise FOTD using Manly 120

2011-04-19T12:37:00.004-04:00

Name skillfully chosen by my hubby ;) As I've mentioned I'm trying to get out of doing neutral eyes every day, lately I've been choosing a color from my Manly 120 palette and then working around that (or having my the hubs choose one). This one started with a granny apple green...

Products used:

MAC Painterly Paint Pot (base)

NYX Milk Pencil (as base and on waterline with shadow applied on top)

Urban Decay X blush

NYC Liquid Lipshine in City's Clear

I really don't remember what I used on my eyes otherwise (mascara and liner!)

(bonus husband caught gaming in the background :D)

NYC Smokey Browns palette

2011-04-17T12:15:00.001-04:00

I had previously said I couldn't find the new NYC Smokey Browns palette, but I did!

Smokey Browns contains 4 eyeshadows, a primer and cream highlighter. The shades above, swatched over the included primer are a silver highlight, taupey lid color, dark taupe that leans purple (did not expect it too!) and a charcoal grey filled with silver shimmer.

And a quick eye using them as they are meant to.

As with the other NYC palettes I have tried the quality on these are really good, the colors do compliment themselves. The included eye primer, which I have recently tested (see here), also makes this palette an even better option. Smokey Browns leans cool, and I think it is very wearable for any eye color.

These palettes can be found at Rite Aid, and anywhere else that carries NYC products, they sell for around $3.99 and contain 4 shadows, a cream highlighter and a primer.

OCC polish Part 2: RX, Echo, Tattoo

2011-04-16T11:39:00.001-04:00

I recently had the chance to review some nailpolishes from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. I have heard a literal ton of reviews on their Lip Tars but barely anything about their polishes. Today I have half of the shades I tried. I was saving the best for last! To see the first part, please click here. I'm going to just jump into the awesomeness of these!

RX- described as "A SHEER WASH OF FLUORESCENT BLUE (SHEER)". Well, I'm not sure I would call this sheer (despite what my camera says, in most lighting this had no VNL, my camera is just like that). This is 3 coats, so I suppose you could do a single coat and where this sheer. I like it this way, it's almost got a plastic finish to it. I like that this is pretty darn fluorescent and isn't super sheer, uneven and doesn't dry matte- things that I always seem to find with brights. This is what I wanted Color Club's Chelsea Girl to be.

Echo- described as "DARKEST TEAL-TONED BLUE (OPAQUE, SATIN)". When I pulled this polish out I had to just gaze at how gorgeous this peacock teal polish is. This color is dark but unlike some polishes, still holds a strong punch of color. Excuse my application, I don't know what it is about darker polishes that make my hands go crazy and suck at polish application! This is 2 coats, fabulous creamy consistency on application. This is also the polish my mother wore and said she couldn't pick off (with no top or base coats). Maybe my bad application was due to my excitement to slap on the next polish...

Tattoo- described as "FADED GREENISH BLACK TATTOO-TONE (OPAQUE, SATIN)". Luckily none of my tattoos have faded to this point yet, but I love the inspiration! The closest I have in my collection to this is Orly Enchanted Forest, but it doesn't compare at all. Like with Echo, this color is dark but you can clearly tell it isn't straight black. This also had the same awesome creamy consistency as Echo, and was almost a 1 coater (!!!). As soon as I had this on I knew what I had to do...

I absolutely freaking LOVE this! It reminds me of a blackboard (but, you know, a green blackboard). I wore it like this for 4 days before I ended up with...

I ended up adding a coat of OPI Glow Up Already! on a whim. The best part? This photo is taken on day 6 of wear! Not only did I not use a normal top coat, but both matte and glitter chip like crazy on me. 6 days of wear is AMAZING. And if I wasn't ready to change my polish I could easily get a few more days. Seriously, I couldn't pick this off when I tried.

OCC polish is available on their website and retail for $8 a bottle.

See anything you like in this post? Do you love Tattoo as much as I do?

*this post contains products provided for review, this in no way alters my review.

Trying to get my creativity back FOTD

2011-04-15T10:05:00.000-04:00

Products used:

MAC Bare Study paint pot (base)

Fyrinnae Marshmallow Puffs (highlight)

Fyrinnae Pearl Sun (inner corner)

Fyrinnae Bifrost

Fyrinnae Bali Mynah (outer lid)

MAC Violet pigment (above crease)

MAC Vis-a-violet pigment (inner crease)

MAC Deep Purple pigment (crease)

Fyrinnae Harlequin (because the crease just wasn't dark enough)

L'oreal Telescopic waterproof eyeliner

Cover Girl Lash Blast Length

L'oreal Photoready in Shell

Urban Decay X blush

MAC Fix +

OCC polish Part 1: A.V., Flawed, Hush

2011-04-14T10:58:00.005-04:00

I recently had the chance to review some nailpolishes from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. I have heard a literal ton of reviews on their Lip Tars but barely anything about their polishes. Today I have half of the shades I tried, I'm saving my favorites for last so look out for the second part on Saturday :) So how does OCC polish stand up?

Most of these polishes took 2 coats, and for the majority they had a great consistency. The thing I really want to mention about these polishes though is wear time. I put one of these on after swatching and it went CHIP FREE for 6 days- no touch-ups. I didn't even use top coat! Just a slathering of Seche Clear as a base. Instead of top coat I decided I would be cruel and put a matte coat over- knowing perfectly well that I've never had a matte mani hold up longer than a day. Just wait- I'll show you proof in my next post! And this isn't a freak occurrence, my mother tried on a shade and found that she couldn't even pick it off- with no base or top coat. To me, that says something.

A.V.- is described as "PEARL GREY WITH RAINBOW MICROGLITTER INLAY (OPAQUE, SATIN)" but it seems a little more like a very very light baby blue to me. What do you think? In bottle this color is gorgeous, loaded with glitter (just check out the bottle in the photo). The glitter however did not translate to the nail :( It seems that the base is too opaque (this is 2 coats) to let the glitter shine through and it is a shame. The color is pretty on it's own- I don't have anything quite like it- and it does have a lovely shimmer to it. But the glitter makes it bumpy. I may try this with a glitter topcoat to see how that works out!

Flawed- described on their site as "SANDSTONE WITH A GOLD/BRONZE OVERLAY (METALLIC)". I find this shade to be a little hard to describe, but I think they do it well. This isn't a standard gold polish- a little bit dirty almost. Not the kind of metallic I was expecting, when I think of metallic I think of China Glaze Tronica- but maybe that's me. I do think I like it better with this finish though. The formula on this one was a little thinner, so I used 3 coats. There is still a little bit of VNL at some angles, but don't let that scare you!

Hush- described on their site as "SOFT, ANTIQUE PINK - SATIN" This is so pretty! Perfectly girly, dusty rose pink. I really really love the dusty antique tone, and this is super shiny on it's own. While not the most exciting color this is a perfect work-safe option. The application was great- 2 coats.

OCC polish is available on their website and retails for $8 a bottle.

Have you tried any OCC products? See anything you'd like to try?

*this post contains products provided for review, this in no way alters my review.

5 Fantastic Red Lipsticks

2011-04-13T11:01:00.000-04:00

Anyone wanna split OCC lip tars?

2011-04-13T02:42:00.002-04:00

I have been wanting to try OCC lip tars for a long time but the price tag is a little too much for me right now, would anyone want to split the tubes with me? I've seen a lot of people looking for samples. It would be into a jar type of your choice, because of lack of OJ I we can split it $6/6.50 a tube, half shipping fee and I'll ship it from here to you. Looking to try 4-5 shades. These are the ones I want to try to make sure we both want the same colors of course! The only shade I really really really want to order is Feathered (for mixing). Hit me up at daintydarlingdigits@gmail.com and we can work out something :)

Interlace

Beta

Demure

Hoochie

Anime

Divine

Grandma

Cha Cha

Strumpet

Katricia

Vapid

Tarred

NYC Smokey Greens vol. II and primer review

2011-04-11T11:46:00.001-04:00

I had meant to test the eye primer that comes with the NYC palette for awhile now. I had previously shrugged it off as not being worth my time simply because it comes in a palette that retails for $3.99. Does it work?

I also wanted to do another look with this palette because I didn't think the other one captured some of the shades well. The primer is a little bit pigmented, on darker skin tones I can see it showing up a little too light. It feels similar to a MAC paint pot but a little more...oily? It does work well for application, it helps to grip the color and I can blend forever without creating bald spots where the product buffs off.

But of course, the true test comes from how long it wears. So here is my shadow 8 hours later:

While it didn't hold up anywhere near as well as UDPP or a MAC paint pot, I do think these are decent for the value. It is nice to have in palette for on the go or traveling in a pinch and compared to some other budget primers (such as Hard Candy) this was a nice surprise and would make a good start for someone who has never tried a primer.

NYC palettes can be found in most drugstores and retail for $3.99

CQ Rustic Dream duochrome- amazing!

2011-04-10T11:01:00.000-04:00

Under the lights of Rite Aid I knew this polish was pretty unique but it wasn't until I wore it that I knew just how wonderful this polish is. This is a rusty red/fiery orange/amber yellow and a hintttt of pink. GORGEOUS! I can't help but stare at my nails.

This took 4 coats, could have probably done 3 but the formula is a little thin. The wear on this was fantastic- not a single chip after 4 days. Stupid me decided to slap some glitter over it and it got messed up before it dried. CQ can be found at Rite Aid for $2.99, if you haven't tried them they are worth a look!

BEHOLD RUSTIC DREAM!

NYC Smokey Blues palette

2011-04-09T10:38:00.000-04:00

As I said back in my post about the Smokey Greens palette that I also found the Smokey Blues. Once again, this is a palette designed to compliment your eye color. The eye primer in this once again leaked some kind of oily substance- which you can see below.

The colors in Smokey Blues are very mixed- a gold highlight, silver purple lid color, rich brown with a slight hint of purple and a dark plum crease color.

The shades do show more brown than purple when applied.

As with the other NYC palettes I have tried the quality on these are really good, the colors do compliment themselves. I've recently tested the eye primer, I will have a full review soon but I was pretty happy with it. I would recommend these palettes to anyone.

These palettes can be found at Rite Aid, and anywhere else that carries NYC products, they sell for around $3.99 and contain 4 shadows, a cream highlighter and a primer.

Essie Sand Tropez and Nice is Nice Spring 2011

2011-04-08T12:16:00.000-04:00

These are the first Essie's I've picked up since they started showing up in Walmart and drug stores. I actually quite like the change, Essie was not at all accessible for me before and I like the changes to the bottle. Although, I would really like to see them switch out the horrible teeny stiff brush for a nicer one (come on, these are $8 a pop!).

Sand Tropez- I find it kind of sad this is the closest to mannequin hands I've found! I'm a sucker for these taupey shades and this one leans more tan than any in my collection. 3 coats.

Nice is Nice- WTF is with this name? I kinda hate it. This is a nice springy lilac, more vibrant than China Glaze Light As Air.

Yes, another black and pink smoky eye

2011-04-07T11:59:00.000-04:00

No clue what was used other than Bright Fuchsia and Urban Decay Zero.

$OPI in Sephora #212 Pic Spam!

2011-04-06T12:04:00.000-04:00

I first saw Sephora on a trip to NYC and regretted not picking it up then. I finally managed to swap for it and it is just as beautiful as I remember. Sephora is a black base that is so loaded with glitter, shimmer and flakies that it appears a golden olive green. Yes: glitter, shimmer AND flakies. My heart be still!

This is 3 coats, great application and wore great for 5 days. Was smooth with a single coat of Seche Vite. Surely in my top 5 favorite polishes.

Pictures were on day 3 of wear so please pardon the tip wear!

Attack of the giant cat eye!

2011-04-05T12:11:00.000-04:00

Ever feel like you've completely lost your makeup inspiration? I just can't seem to get it back :( This is a quick look I threw on after messing up 2 before it.

I think my eyelids are pre maturely aging :(

Products that I can remember using...

UDPP in Eden

Fyrinnae French Vanilla Shake

Fyrinnae Ultrasuede (sooooo very lightly in the crease)

L'oreal waterproof liquid liner

UD Zero (over the liquid liner because of some skipping at the edges)

Viva Glam Gaga II

Avon glazewear in Classic Cream

UD X blush (going old school here!)

DDD asks you!

2011-04-04T22:29:00.002-04:00

What do you look for in a mascara review? I'm talking in depth reviews, so please tell me what is important to you in mascaras!

I plan on kicking of May Mascara Mania (details soon to come:)) and I want to make these reviews the best possible for you guys!

Sally Hansen Spring Insta Dri swatches

2011-04-04T11:30:00.000-04:00

I get ridiculously excited about pastels. When someone asks my favorite color my answer is typically just pastels (sea green if we must be specific) so when I rounded the corner at Rite Aid to find a near full display of the Sally Hansen spring Insta-Dri polishes it led to some squeeing. I ended up picking up four colors. At the time I thought they were all creams, which made me ridiculously excited but it turns out Chartreuse Chase has some awesome shimmer running through it (I was disappointed it wasn't cream at first). There are 4 other shades in this collection, but I passed on them.

As always with the Insta-dri polishes they are meant to be done in 1 coat, they have that big clunky brush (just a bit too big for my tastes) and are generally a little on the messy side for application.

Chartreuse Chase- As I said above, I thought this was a cream but it turns out it has some really cool shimmer running through it. I'm not sure I would really call this chartreuse though. This one needed 3 coats to be opaque, which I found odd for the Insta-dri line (although it never takes a single coat for me like they advertise).

Jade Jump- Yes, we've seen a million mint creams buttt FAVORITE COLOR so I had to have it. I'll do a comparison soon but I'm excited to konad with this one. 2 coats.

Pink Blink- I couldn't get this to quite photograph right, it's lighter and creamier than it shows up. I have a ton of pinks but I couldn't resist this, it's so *cute* ^_^ However, the application was NOT cute and it took 3 coats because of nasty streaking and it was runny and thick at the same time somehow. DNW.

Blue-Away- Not quite as vibrant as the photo, more of a baby blue. Nothing magical but a good baby blue cream if you need one. 2 coats.

NYC Smokey Greens palette

2011-04-03T11:48:00.000-04:00

Dear NYC:

STOP WITH THE DUMB NAMES!!!

Seriously, Smokey Greens? This palette is created for green eyes, thus the name but it is pretty misleading if you ask me since this palette is full of purples.

Now that that is off of my chest...

I know a lot of people love Wet n Wild palettes, and I do too, but I also really like the NYC palettes but they never seem to get any love. Smokey Greens is a new palette for 2011 (I'm not sure if it is LE or not). They also released a Smokey Browns (which my store didn't have) and Smokey Blues (swatches up in a couple days). Each palette comes with 4 colors and a pan of cream highlighter (useless) and a primer I've honestly never tested. This palette specifically seems to have had some issues before I got my hands on it and some oil from the highlighter/primer leaked over the plastic- oh well. Anyways, onto the swatches...

I absolutely LOVE the 3rd shade, it's gorgeous! Here is a quick look using them as they are intended:

I think I'm gonna have to do another look using shade 3 on my lid because this doesn't do it justice!

Have you tried any of the NYC palettes?

Petites Color Fever Daze swatches

2011-04-02T10:12:00.000-04:00

Walking through Rite Aid I spotted a Petites display with a few new shades mixed in with a bunch of core shades. There were a couple semi-interesting new shades but the only one I ended up getting was Daze. This is a rich green somewhere between lime and chartreuse, it has a pretty sheer green base and is loaded with matching green glitter (actually they kind of look almost like teeny flakies?). It is a little more sheer than I would have liked but at 3 coats it is good enough for me, but I don't fear the VNL. I'm gonna try this over black I think but I have to pick up a new bottle since mine have all turned into thick mucky grossness.

Bask in the glory of Daze!

2011-04-02T01:21:00.002-04:00